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C. F. SPENCER.

Fruit Can.

Patented Nov. 19., 1867.

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IMPROVEMENT IN SEALING FRUIT-GANS.

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TO ALL WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:

Be it known that I, CHARLES F. SPENCER, of Rochester, in the county of Monroe, and State of New York, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in SealingPresei-ve-Gans; and I do hereby'declare that the following is a full and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making part of this specification. i I

I Figure 1 is a perspective view of a preserve-can sealed in my improvedmanner.

Figure 2, a vertical section of the upper portion of the same; Figure 3, a perspective view of the metallic sealdetached. Like letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

In ordinary tin cans for containing oysters, 860., the mouth of the can is sealed by soldering a di'skof tin over it. Much difliculty arises in opening the can, for the reason that-the cover this formsasolid-part of the can itself, and is not easily penetrable. To obviate this difliculty, numerous cutters and other instruments have been invented, which, however, are not only uncertain in their operation, but they-leave the can-in a condition in which it can never be used again for sealing. i v

I proposeto avoid all these difliculties, and my invention consists in sealing the mouth of the can by a thin lead or equivalent metallic disk, which, by being easily penetrable, can be cut away by a knife without difiiculty for opening the can. The invention'consists, further, in countersinking or striking down'the mouth of the; can to form the seat in which the leaden or equivalent seal rests, so that it not only is much below the level of the surface so as not to be exposed to violence,. bu t the seat. answers for thesealing of another disk after the first has been opened.

As represented in the drawing, A is an ordinary oyster-can made of tin. The mouth a of this can is countersunk or struck down'so as to form a nerrow'depressed seat, 6, on which rests the sealing-disk'B; I make this disk of thin sheet lead or other equivalent soft metal, which is easily penetrated and cut b y a knife, and solder it in place on the seat after the can has been filled. I prefer to tinthe under side of the lead,,so that it will produce no deleterious effect upon the contents of the can.

The grcat advantage of this method of sealing cans is, that they can be opened without diiliculty and without bruising. It is only necessary to insert the'point of a knife and cut away the soft metal, which'is easily accomplished, and without injury to the can. When tin is soldered over the mouth of the can as usual, it cannot be penetrated or cut away by any ordinary means, bdt violence must be applied, and the can becomes so bruised and torn that it is not in condition to be used again. In niy method the rough edge of the load can be easily torn from the seat 6 without injuring it, or', if not, the countersink will allow another disk to be sealed on top without projecting, when it is desired to use the can a second time. In addition to the'above, the countersunk or depressed seat I) has a special effect in removing the seal from danger or violence, by locating it below the surface. i

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The combination of the lead or equivalent seal with the countersunk or depressed seat, as and for the pur-' pose set forth.

In witness whereof I have hereunto signed my name in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

CHAS. F. SPENCER.

Witnesses:

R. F. Oseoon, J. A. DAVIS. 

